What really gets me is that it's one of the few businesses left that could really benefit from the customer service aspect. Sure you'll get aholes
and know-it-alls but by and large people learning could use good sound advice. No pun intended.

Most people (in my experience) learn their stuff from the customers. I am a cable guy. Customers usually know more about the latest trends and changes
in tech than I do. I have to learn my job from the customers. I have to learn a lot of new things on the fly

I think that's really the way it works in any sales or service position.

Buying guitars and accessories at GC is like buying car parts at Oreilly or Auto Zone. I often feel like I know more than the average employee and I
never ask advice. I also usually disregard any advice or suggestion they may offer. At my local GC the strings are hung on a wall where you can
retrieve them yourself and take them to the counter to pay for them, maybe so as not to confuse the clerk when asking for anything other than Daddario
XL's.

Well there is a shop that has been in the area since the late 60's. Same guy runs it although he has a few young helpers now. Best guitar tech in
town hands down. The amps and all the new technology that comes out he leaves up to the new guys.

This man however has no problem listening or explaining in detail what goes on with an electric or acoustic guitar. He values his customers, some
loyal for over 40ish years. They bring their grandkids there. It's rare.

Not a musician in any way but the few times I ever did go inside a GC just to look around I immediately got bad vibes from the place. Very stuffy and
unfriendly seeming atmosphere. And like many of those types of stores, I could feel their eyes on me the instant I walked through the door. I could
see them stalking me in the corner of my eye the whole time. Since there were maybe 3 people in the store other than the employees, they are
apparently very bored and are instructed to watch you like a hawk. I used to get the same feeling in places like Radio Shack and Circuit City.

My story with GC begins with me finding a 12-string guitar. I was rather excited about the find, but wasn't at all familiar with it.

In attempting to learn how to tune it, I broke a string and that is where my journey truly began.

I called my local GC in order to get a pack of strings, and perhaps some "tips and tricks" for tuning it as it turned out to be more involved than I
expected. I was in the middle of getting it up and running, so I didn't want to wait.. but I should have known better.

I stated my general needs on the phone, thinking it was a rather basic interaction. I was taken aback when I was told that 12-string guitars do not
exist. Not only that, but everyone knows "all guitars have six strings." The statement was, of course, laced with equal amounts of condescension and
certainty.

I asked them to perhaps look up some on their computer, or just treat the exchange as hypothetical. The GC employee obliged, and after a time on hold,
they came back to state that while they may exist, they are so rare that no one knows anything about them. But, obviously, I would be best served to
come in and sell it to them.

After some.. progress.. in the conversation, I was told that they simply use two same sets of normal guitar strings.

Furthermore, they did not actually need to be tuned at all. You just installed the strings and it was good to go!

originally posted by: JinMI
I've been a musician (debatable) for just about 20 years. I've played bass, drums, guitar, violin, cello and can read (debatable) sheet music for
strings. I'm also a geek. I tear apart guitars, amps and replace parts, fix broken ones give setups etc.

So here are a few reasons I can not stand GC.

...

Have you considered the possibility that these might have been false flag operations by a rival company, aimed at discrediting Guitar Centre?

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